BackPOLITICS
Phase 1 Voting In Bengal Tomorrow: Timeline Of Major Political Parties
West Bengal’s first phase of the assembly elections is set to vote across 152 constituencies. The piece profiles major parties—TMC, BJP, Congress, CPI-M, ISF, AIMIM, and AJUP—and notes historical results, campaigns, and recent campaign developments, including phase-wise voting dates and the counting schedule. It also highlights ground campaigns and recent alliances that shape the electoral contest.
Why It Matters
The timeline maps the key players and historical context driving Bengal's phase-wise polls, helping readers understand the electoral dynamics in the state.
Timeline
12 Events
Counting of votes scheduled
April 22, 2026
Counting of votes for the West Bengal assembly elections is scheduled for May 4, 2026.
Phase 2 polling scheduled
April 22, 2026
Phase 2 polling is scheduled for April 29, 2026, as part of the two-phase election process.
Phase 1 voting scheduled
April 22, 2026
Phase 1 of the West Bengal assembly elections is scheduled in 152 constituencies across north Bengal and several southern districts; polling is to take place on Thursday (as reported).
AIMIM-AJUP alliance collapses
April 10, 2026
An alliance between AIMIM and suspended TMC leader Humayun Kabir's AJUP collapsed following a video controversy on April 10, 2026.
Bangla Bachao Yatra begins
November 2025
The CPI(M)’s Bangla Bachao Yatra began in November 2025, traversing North Bengal and South Bengal from Cooch Behar to North 24 Parganas.
2024 Lok Sabha elections: BJP gains in Bengal
2024
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP won 12 seats in Bengal and secured around 28 lakh votes (4.68% of Bengal’s total); CPI-M received 0.38% of the vote share.
AIMIM Bengal debut in 2021
2021
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) contested its Bengal debut in the 2021 assembly elections.
ISF formation
2021
The Indian Secular Front (ISF) was formed in 2021 by Peerzada Abbas Siddiqui to mobilize marginalized groups.
Congress alliance with Left and ISF in 2021
2021
During the 2021 elections, the Indian National Congress ran in alliance with Left parties and ISF in a common anti-TMC arrangement.
TMC landslide win in 2021 assembly elections
2021
In 2021, the Trinamool Congress won 213 of 294 seats and about 47.9% of votes, aided by mass campaigns such as 'Didi ke Bolo' and 'Khela Hobe' and the 'Lakhmi Bhandar' scheme.
BJP opposition emerges after 2016 Bengal election
2016
After the 2016 Bengal assembly election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gradually emerged as the main opposition in the state.
Trinamool Congress founded
1998
The Trinamool Congress (AITC) was founded by Mamata Banerjee in 1998 as a breakaway faction of the Indian National Congress.